Matchlight hires Paul Murray

The DCD-owned indie has recruited Paul Murray (pictured) to focus on features, daytime and factual entertainment, following news that UK broadcasters the BBC and Channel 4 will source more popular factual from the Scottish production sector.

DCD Media-owned factual producer Matchlight has hired Paul Murray (pictured) for the newly created role of creative director for new markets.

Formerly the head of Objective Scotland, Murray will focus on features, daytime and factual entertainment for the Glasgow-based company, working alongside creative director Ross Wilson and head of development Jacqui Hayden.

The appointment follows a joint announcement by the BBC and Channel 4 in July that the UK broadcasters will source more returning popular factual series from independent Scottish production companies.

“We aim to double our turnover in the next three years, winning more commissions in our existing areas of strength as well as developing new markets for our programs,” Matchlight’s managing director David Smith said in a statement.

Murray is the creator of Channel 4 series Location, Location, Location and BBC2′s Antiques Road Trip. At Objective Scotland, he oversaw The Secret Removers, Fresh Meat House and Face the Clock. Before that he was creative director at STV Productions and produced Piers Morgan’s BBC series The Dark Side of Fame and You Can’t Fire Me I’m Famous.

Additionally, Matchlight is producing the three-part series The Private Lives of Medieval Britain, starring presenter Helen Castor for BBC4; the three-part Women and Art (working title), for BBC2; a one-hour documentary about how polio was cured for BBC2; the ‘First Cut’ documentary Jockey School, for Channel 4; and the four x 30-minutes series Viva Variety (w/t) and the one-hour documentary The Commonwealth of Burns, both for BBC Scotland.